Sponsored images from 
View allAll Photos Tagged features
It seems like the Color-Solagon enlarging lenses are almost completely unknown, even among people very familiar with a wide range of enlarging lenses.
Thanks to a couple of helpful people here, as well as the wonderful help of the FOMU - Fotomuseum Antwerpen and its library, I was able to confirm that the Color-Solagon features a 6 elements in 4 groups plasmat design (similar to most of the Componon-S lenses from Schneider Kreuznach), but the only real source I‘ve seen is on the "Color Solagon II 60 mm", which was apparently sold with some of the Varioscop 35/44 enlargers! I wasn‘t able to find a single document on the 70, 80 or 90 mm variants unfortunately, but I‘d guess they were made for a different purpose - either for one of Agfa’s Minilab or some industrial application.
I was able to find some of the Color-Solagon lenses, but unfortunately most of them are in pretty bad shape with either haze, fungus or some mechanical damage, so it‘s impossible to judge the quality in their original state.
The "Color-Solagon DII 90 mm F 4.5" shown here is not mentioned anywhere on the internet as far as I could find at least... I think it might be very similar to the 80 mm variant though.
If you know more about it, or someone who could, I‘d really appreciate any help!
Shot with a Schneider Kreuznach "M-Claron 60 mm F 5.6" lens on a Canon EOS R5.
As promised, this next sequence of images could be seen as a meditation or reflection - pun only partly intended - on the fountains and water features so beloved of the Moors in Spain.
Villa d'Almè (BG) - Italy - 2018
Visit my social network:
www.facebook.com/wizartgraffiti/
This collection features photographic images generated with artificial intelligence using Midjourney V7, specifically designed to stand out on Flickr Explore. The series explores the most popular colors identified on the platform: red, green, blue, yellow, orange, monochrome and black and white.
Each image has been created with technically precise prompts that simulate professional photographic equipment (Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, Leica) and specialized techniques such as macro, architecture, portrait, landscape and documentary photography. The collection spans from cinematic portraits to Mediterranean landscapes, contemporary architecture, nature, Andalusian culture and urban art.
All images use optimized parameters (--style raw --v 7) for maximum photographic realism, with 2:3 and 3:2 formats ideal for social media and digital gallery presentation. This series demonstrates the creative potential of generative AI applied to artistic and commercial photography.
Esta colección presenta imágenes fotográficas generadas con inteligencia artificial utilizando Midjourney V7, específicamente diseñadas para destacar en Flickr Explore. La serie explora los colores más populares identificados en la plataforma: rojo, verde, azul, amarillo, naranja, monocromo y blanco y negro.
Cada imagen ha sido creada con prompts técnicamente precisos que simulan equipamiento fotográfico profesional (Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, Leica) y técnicas especializadas como macro, arquitectura, retrato, paisaje y fotografía documental. La colección abarca desde retratos cinematográficos hasta paisajes mediterráneos, arquitectura contemporánea, naturaleza, cultura andaluza y arte urbano.
Todas las imágenes utilizan parámetros optimizados (--style raw --v 7) para máximo realismo fotográfico, con formatos 2:3 y 3:2 ideales para la presentación en redes sociales y galerías digitales. Esta serie demuestra el potencial creativo de la IA generativa aplicada a la fotografía artística y comercial.
The schooner race at Port Townsend’s 2014 Wooden Boat Festival included schooners, ketches and yawls with various sail rigs.
The 1913 Adventuress (133 ft long, 115 tons, 5478 sq. ft. of sail) and the 1924 Zodiac (160 ft long, 147 tons, 7000 sq. ft. of sail) are old gaff-rigged schooners that are pretty well matched for a race. Heavy weather would favor Zodiac. I was aboard Adventuress and enjoyed seeing a close race with Zodiac.
The 160-foot Schooner Zodiac was built for the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical heirs in 1924 for use as a private yacht. Zodiac was designed by William H. Hand, Jr., to epitomize the best features of the American fishing schooner. The Johnsons sailed it up and down the East Coast and participated in the King’s Cup Race across the Atlantic to Spain in 1928. From 1929 until 1931, the schooner Zodiac was owned by Arthur J. Nesbitt, of Montreal. He renamed the schooner Airdeane and docked the vessel in Nova Scotia and it cruised the coasts of Labrador and the Canadian Maritimes. In 1931, Arthur J. Nesbitt donated the Airdeane to the Grenfell Mission, which provided medical and educational services to Labrador and Northern Newfoundland.
The Zodiac again changed hands during the great depression and was purchased by the San Francisco Bar Pilots. Renamed California, she enjoyed a storied career in San Francisco Bay before retiring in 1972 as the last American pilot schooner (with pilot number 8 on her sail). She was purchased and restored by a community of shipwrights, sailors and historians who formed the Vessel Zodiac Corporation and operate her as a charter vessel from her homeport in Bellingham, WA. The Zodiac was added to the National Register of Historic Places by act of Congress in 1982. schoonerzodiac.com/history/
Adventuress is a 133-foot gaff-rigged schooner launched in 1913 in East Boothbay, Maine. Adventuress was built for John Borden at East Boothbay, Maine, and was designed by B.B. Crowninshield. Borden intended to sail to Alaska to catch a bowhead whale for the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Borden's efforts to catch a whale failed. He sold Adventuress to the San Francisco Bar Pilots Association, which marked the beginning of her career as a workboat. For 35 years, she transferred pilots to and from cargo vessels near the Farallon Islands. During World War II, she was a United States Coast Guard vessel, guarding San Francisco Bay.Around 1952, Adventuress was brought to Seattle, where she went through several owners. Eventually, she wound up in the care of Monty Morton and Ernestine Bennett, who managed a non-profit sail training organization called Youth Adventure. Under their ownership, the boat was restored to most of her original lines, which had been altered during her years as a working vessel. In 1988, Sound Experience began conducting educational programs on the vessel, and the following year she was listed as a National Historic Landmark. Today Adventuress is operated by the non-profit organization Sound Experience, as a platform for environmental education about Puget Sound. The 15 on her sail is her number from her days a pilot ship in San Francisco. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventuress_(schooner)
.
A vintage postage stamp from the Netherlands, issued in 1965 as part of the annual "Kinderpostzegels" (Child Welfare) series. This particular stamp, with a value of 18 cents plus a 12-cent surcharge, features a charming and colorful drawing by a child, depicting a standing person. The original child's drawing was further designed and adapted for philatelic use by Dutch designer Gerrit Noordzij.
Built for CCCXIV on classic-castle.com, and for LoR on Merlin's Beard.
This model is 100% LEGO except for the custom sail, which is shaped paper. This ship is fully modular and features an interior, which can be easily accessed by removing either side of the hull. For additional access, the forecastle and aftcastle are both removable as blocks, and the deck itself can actually lift off (it slides up and off the mast). Beneath the forecastle is the navigator's chamber, which features a bed, chamberpot, and table with map, and whose walls can swing open for access. On top of the forecastle is a fully functioning tension ballista, whose firing mechanism was inspired by JKBrickworks' amazing ballista. The rudder is also movable via a tiller near the stern. The anchors are deployable, and all doors and hatches open and close.
************************************
As the economic sanctions against Lenfald tightened, smugglers running goods to and from the Great Western Islands turned to speed in order to evade the fleets of Loreesi and Garhim ships patrolling the seas. However, for carrying troops and highly important passengers, small ships were not an option.
To counter the threat of Loreesi galleys in particular, Lenfel shipbuilders designed a new kind of vessel - a warship specially equipped to neutralize all of its adversaries' advantaged. With high sides that towered over enemy ships and allowed defenders to repel boarding parties with ease, a forecastle-mounted heavy ballista capable of firing various projectiles in nearly every direction, and a specially designed crow's nest equipped with a sharpshooter's steel crossbow, this new behemoth could take on multiple opponents at once and emerge victorious.
The flagship of this new fleet, under the direct command of Governor Wynholm himself, was christened "Lord of the Isles," and its sail emblazoned with the sigil of the mighty oak. Loreesi sailors fear its arrival!
The Neon Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, features signs from old casinos and other businesses displayed outdoors on 2.62 acres. The museum features a restored lobby shell from the defunct La Concha Motel as its visitor center, which officially opened on October 27, 2012. For many years, the Young Electric Sign Company (YESCO) stored many of these old signs in their "boneyard." The signs were slowly being destroyed by exposure to the elements. The signs are considered by Las Vegas locals, business owners and government organizations to be not only artistically, but also historically, significant to the culture of the city. Each of the restored signs in the collection holds a story about who created it and why it is important. The Neon Museum was founded in 1996 as a partnership between the Allied Arts Council of Southern Nevada and the City of Las Vegas. Today, it is an independent non-profit. Located on Las Vegas Boulevard and Bonanza, the Neon Museum includes the new Neon Boneyard Park, which is adjacent to the former YESCO Boneyard. The impetus behind the museum was the loss of the iconic sign from The Sands; after it closed in 1995, there was no place to store the massive sign, and it was scrapped. To mark its official opening in November 1996, the Neon Museum restored and installed the Hacienda Horse & Rider sign at the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Fremont Street. However, access to the collection was provided by appointment only. Annual attendance was approximately 12–20,000 during this time. In 2005, the historic La Concha lobby was donated to the museum, which moved and reassembled the building 4 miles (6.4 km) north along Las Vegas Boulevard after cutting it into eight pieces. It now serves as the museum's visitors' center and headquarters. Although it cost nearly $3 million to move and restore the La Concha, the plans to open a museum became concrete after the donation of the building, drawing a number of public and private grants and donations. In total, approximately $6.5 million was raised for the visitors' center, headquarters, a new park, and restoration of 15 major signs. In November 2009, the Neon Museum restored and installed the famous Silver Slipper sign across from its welcome center, and two more restored vintage signs were installed near the northern end of Las Vegas Boulevard to mark its designation as a National Scenic Byway. Paid public admission commenced on October 27, 2012, replacing the prior appointment-only basis. Attendance during the first year was 60,461, exceeding the early estimate of 45–50,000 visitors. After outgrowing its space in the former La Concha lobby shell, the museum moved its headquarters to old City Hall in 2016 and converted the offices into a museum store. In 2017, the museum purchased land for its first expansion since opening to the public in 2012. For its fifth anniversary, the Neon Museum offered free admission on October 28, 2017. In 2018, the Neon Museum administrative staff moved again to a space on the campus of the Las Vegas-Review Journal and opened a programming space there called Ne10 Studio.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neon_Museum
Official Website: www.neonmuseum.org
Built for BrickWorld 2017. Features landing pads for 10 ships. Features over 100 lights, working turbolift, exhaust fans and iridescent planet lighting.
Features: Bronzer, Freckles, Mole, Blush, Evox and Swallow Ears Compatible
Main Store: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/September/81/157/21
Marketplace: marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/133090
Website: aimiskin.blogspot.com/
Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/93588997@N04/
Social Media: i.mtrbio.com/aimiskins
*Features:
- 100% Mesh structure
- 100% seamlessly tillable, several buildings next to each other - sideways
- 100% original mesh and design made by myself
- Fully rendered textures with light and shadows for a realistic effect
- (Important........before click on rez your building , please make sure that you have positioned the rez box on the middle of your parcel and that your parcel is at last 64x64 meters.
- The prefabs buildings come in 8 different interior versions which are included on the same pack.
See details bellow:
RSD The Event V1
With middle booth
4 textures interior themes
Footprint 64x64
Prim count 156
RSD The Event V2
Without middle booth
4 textures interior themes
Footprint 64x64
Prim count 155
- Minimum Parcel Size Required: 4096sq. meters.
- Or 64x64 Meters Parcel.
- Permissions
Copy / Modify / No Transfer
*Please Read Carefully !
MESH VIEWER
This item requires a mesh enabled viewer.
Please note that I won't be responsible for any of your modifications.
If you make a mistake, please just rez a new store from your "Rez Box".
For any questions send a IM to Colyn Jewell
Santa Maria sopra Minerva is one of the major churches of the Order of Preachers (also known as the Dominicans) in Rome, Italy. The church's name derives from the fact that the first Christian church structure on the site was built directly over (Italian: sopra) the ruins or foundations of a temple dedicated to the Egyptian goddess Isis, which had been erroneously ascribed to the Greco-Roman goddess Minerva (possibly due to interpretatio romana).
The church is located in Piazza della Minerva one block east the Pantheon in the Pigna rione of Rome within the ancient district known as the Campus Martius. The present church and disposition of surrounding structures is visible in a detail from the Nolli Map of 1748.
While many other medieval churches in Rome have been given Baroque makeovers that cover Gothic structures, the Minerva is the only extant example of original Gothic architecture church building in Rome. Behind a restrained Renaissance style façade the Gothic interior features arched vaulting that was painted blue with gilded stars and trimmed with brilliant red ribbing in a 19th-century Neo-Gothic restoration.
The church and adjoining convent served at various times throughout its history as the Dominican Order's headquarters. Today the headquarters have been re-established in their original location at the Roman convent of Santa Sabina. The titulus of Sanctae Mariae supra Minervam was conferred upon Cardinal António Marto, on 28 June 2018.
In Roman times there were three temples in what is now the area surrounding the basilica and former convent buildings: the Minervium, built by Gnaeus Pompey in honour of the goddess Minerva about 50 BC, referred to as Delubrum Minervae; the Iseum dedicated to Isis, and the Serapeum dedicated to Serapis. Details of the temple to Minerva are not known but recent investigations indicate that a small round Minervium once stood a little further to the east on the Piazza of the Collegio Romano. In 1665 an Egyptian obelisk was found, buried in the garden of the Dominican cloister adjacent to the church. Several other small obelisks were found at different times near the church, known as the Obelisci Isei Campensis, which were probably brought to Rome during the 1st century and grouped in pairs, with others, at the entrances of the temple of Isis. There are other Roman survivals in the crypt.
The ruined temple is likely to have lasted until the reign of Pope Zachary (741-752), who finally Christianized the site, offering it to Basilian nuns from Constantinople who maintained an oratorium there dedicated to the "Virgin of Minervum". The structure he commissioned has disappeared.
In 1255 Pope Alexander IV established a community of converted women on the site. A decade later this community was transferred to the Roman Church of San Pancrazio thereby allowing the Dominicans to establish a convent of friars and a studium conventuale there. The Friars were on site beginning in 1266 but took official possession of the Church in 1275. Aldobrandino Cavalcanti (1279), vicarius Urbis or vicar for Pope Gregory X, and an associate of Thomas Aquinas ratified the donation of Santa Maria sopra Minerva to the Dominicans of Santa Sabina by the sisters of S. Maria in Campo Marzio. The ensemble of buildings that formed around the church and convent came to be known as the insula sapientae or insula dominicana (island of wisdom or Dominican island).
The Dominicans began building the present Gothic church in 1280 modelling it on their church in Florence Santa Maria Novella. Architectural plans were probably drawn up during the pontificate of Nicholas III by two Dominican friars, Fra Sisto Fiorentino and Fra Ristoro da Campi. With the help of funds contributed by Boniface VIII and the faithful the side aisles were completed in the 14th century.
In 1453 church interior construction was finally completed when Cardinal Juan Torquemada ordered that the main nave be covered by a vault that reduced the overall projected height of the church. In the same year of 1453 Count Francesco Orsini sponsored the construction of the façade at his own expense. However work on the façade remained incomplete until 1725 when it was finally finished by order of Pope Benedict XIII.
In 1431, the Church and the adjacent Convent of the Dominicans was the site of a Papal conclave. The city of Rome was in an uproar upon the death of Pope Martin V (Colonna), whose family had dominated Roman political life for fifteen years, and enriched themselves on the wealth of the Church. There was fighting in the streets on a daily basis, and the Plaza in front of the Minerva, because of the configuration of streets, houses, church and monastery, could easily be fortified and defended. The Sacristy of the Church served as the meeting hall for the fourteen cardinals (out of nineteen) who attended the Conclave, which began on 1 March 1431. The dormitory of the friars in the Convent to the immediate north of the Church, served as the living quarters for the cardinals and their refectory and kitchen. On 3 March they elected Cardinal Gabriele Condulmaro, who took the name Eugenius IV. A second Conclave was held at the Minerva, on 4–6 March 1447, following the death of Pope Eugenius, once again in the midst of disturbances involving the Orsini supporters of Pope Eugenius and his enemies the Colonna. Eighteen cardinals (out of a total of twenty-six) were present and elected Cardinal Tommaso Parentucelli da Sarzana as Pope Nicholas V.
The Minerva has been a titular church since 1557, and a minor basilica since 1566. The church's first titular cardinal was Michele Ghislieri who became Pope Pius V in 1566. He raised the church to the level of minor basilica in that same year.
In the 16th century Giuliano da Sangallo made changes in the choir area, and in 1600 Carlo Maderno enlarged the apse, added Baroque decorations and created the present façade with its pilastered tripartite division in Renaissance style. Marks on this façade dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries indicate various flood levels of the Tiber 65 feet.
Between 1848 and 1855 Girolamo Bianchedi directed an important program of restoration when most of the Baroque additions were removed and the blank walls were covered with neo-gothic frescos giving the interior the Neo-Gothic appearance that it has today.
The basilica's stained glass windows are mostly from the 19th century. In 1909, the great organ was constructed by the firm of Carlo Vegezzi Bossi. The organ was restored in 1999.
The inscriptions found in S. Maria sopra Minerva have been collected and published by Vincenzo Forcella.
Features:
Opening hatches on both sides with firefighting tools.
Foam cannons behind the flip-down front grill.
Telescoping, rotating Dual foam cannon turret.
Flying drone
Four firefighter droids docked in side hatches
Fire chief droid pilot
Rescue drone in rear hatch
Operating 1990's lights and sound elements
(Space Fire Team logo borrowed from David Roberts)
════════════.·:·. ☽ ✧ Sponsors ✧ ☾ .·:·.════════════
👉[JUSTICE] IVY SHOES
Features:
Infinity Project Compatible
Wear Tucked or Untucked
Show / Hide Sleeves to better work with Jackets
Features:
Infinity Project Compatible
Open / Close Back Pockets Via Hud
Multiple Ankle Fits - High, Mid, Mid (Looser)
Color Change Hud with 10 Metals & 6 Denim Fabric Options
Included Accessories:
Belt - 10 Leather Colors & 10 Metal Options
Condoms - Wear in Back Pocket (R or L) 10 Color Options
Flask - Wear in Back Pocket (R or L) 10 Metal Options
Also Includes a Handheld Version of the Flask
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ INFINITY PROJECT ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
This Product was created to work with the Infinity Project at Justice.
A capsule wardrobe system with interchangeable items.
For more information about the Infinity Project: www.justiceco.us/infinity-project/
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ STORE INFO ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
If you have any problems receiving this product there is a redelivery terminal at the inworld store.
We would like to hear from you! Please leave a review of the product after your purchase! :)
Inworld Store: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/UNDERGROUND%20STATION/130/...
Store Policy: www.justiceco.us/home/store-policy/
════════════.·:·. ☽ ✧ Sponsors ✧ ☾ .·:·.════════════
👉NEW: roslyn. indie outfit. fatpack [unpack]
Color Hud
Body :Legacy Maitreya Reborn Kupra
Taxi to Fifty Event :
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Fifty/2/129/777
👉After to go Mainstore :
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Candy%20Cove/170/111/24
════════════.·:·. ☽ ✧ Sponsors ✧ ☾ .·:·.════════════
👉roslyn. trendy phone. fatpack
Trendy Phone. Available now in Mainstore and Marketplace.
Store LM:
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Candy%20Cove/170/111/24
This product contains:
• 1 PHONE
UNRIGGED & RESIZEABLE
No refunds on double purchases or purchases of the wrong color.
☐ Modify ☑ Copy ☐ Transfer
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me via notecard @ Hoiocene Resident or on Instagram @holocene.sl.
MarketPlace:
marketplace.secondlife.com/p/roslyn-trendy-phone-watercol...
This Victorian Eclectic courthouse features Second Empire elements. It was designed by the architectural firm T.J. Tolan and Son and was built in 1882 by Hiram Iddings. The intricate stonework was crafted by stonecutter T. McIntosh. The structure was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993 with the Warsaw Courthouse Square Historic District.
Kosciusko County, Indiana is pronounced kaw-zee-AWS-koh.
Warsaw is a lovely town with some real salt-of-the-earth people. I thank the people of Warsaw for the kindness I received while I was here.
Excerpt from tourismpei.com:
Panmure Island features one of the most popular white sand beaches on PEI. The park provides life-guards for its supervised swimming areas. The location along a causeway gives water access on both sides of the highway with the sheltered St. Marys Bay on one side and an ocean beach on the other. The sand dunes on the ocean side provide a secluded atmosphere with long stretches of shoreline and a vast view of the ocean makes Panmure Island a beach lover's haven. Tours are offered at historic Panmure Island Lighthouse.
The First Nations People hold an annual Pow Wow at Panmure Island. This spiritual/cultural event, attracting visitors from Eastern Canada and the New England states, includes drum bands, native crafts and a healing sweat tent.
Clean up out in the sunshine with the new Nino Outdoor Shower ☀️ features realistic water & steam fx, It's Not Mine! & Physics integration plus facial animations. Texture HUD included. 10 LI.
© Dan McCabe
How can I improve this photo? All CONSTRUCTIVE criticism is welcome.
The beauty of the Palouse as seen from Steptoe Butte never ceases to take my breath away.
The features vary from large to small. Here we see a hillside that was too steep to harvest grain. I was attracted to the gentle curve of the hill.
Marina Bay Sands features three 55-story hotel towers which were topped out in July 2009. The three towers are connected by a 1 hectare sky terrace on the roof, named Sands SkyPark.
In front of the three towers include a Theatre Block, a Convention and Exhibition Facilities Block, as well as the Casino Block, which have up to 1000 gaming tables and 1400 slot machines.
The SkyPark is home to the world's longest elevated swimming pool, with a 146-metre (478 ft) vanishing edge, perched 191 metres above the ground. The pools are made up of 422,000 pounds of stainless steel and can hold 376,500 gallons (1424 cubic metres) of water. The SkyPark also boasts rooftop restaurants The Club facilities, lush gardens, hundreds of trees and plants, and a public observatory deck on the cantilever with 360-degree views of the Singapore skyline.
There are four movement joints beneath the main pools, designed to help them withstand the natural motion of the towers, and each joint has a unique range of motion. The total range of motion is 500 millimetres (19.68 inches). In addition to wind, the hotel towers are also subject to settlement in the earth over time, so engineers built and installed custom jack legs to allow for future adjustment at more than 500 points beneath the pool system. This jacking system is important primarily to ensure the infinity edge of the pool continues to function properly.
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands also boasts close to 1,000,000 square feet (93,000 m2) of retail space with over 300 stores and F&B outlets, including numerous luxury duplexes for boutiques such as Ralph Lauren, Chanel, Cartier and Prada. Other luxury stores include Gucci, Hermès, Emporio Armani, Chopard, REDValentino, Dior, Dunhill, Vertu, Miu Miu, Saint Laurent Paris, Salvatore Ferragamo, Montblanc, Blancpain, an Hermès Watch Boutique, and Herve Leger.
A canal runs through the length of the Shoppes, in the same style as the Venetian in Las Vegas. Sampan rides on the canal are available for guests and shoppers at the shopping mall, similar to the gondola rides available in the Venetian. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marina_Bay_Sands
Another new toy to play with - the Rokinon T2.2 cine lense (f2) 12mm. Wide angle photography is a whole different skillset. Wonderfully sharp.
A close-up profile portrait of a Rock Pigeon (Columba livia), also known as a city pigeon or feral pigeon.
The photograph captures the bird's striking bright orange eye, the fine texture of its grey plumage, and a subtle hint of iridescent purple feathers along the neck. Set against a clean, dark, out-of-focus background that highlights the intricate details of the bird's head and beak.
• Species: Rock Pigeon / Feral Pigeon (Columba livia)
• View: Close-up profile portrait
• Key features: Iridescent neck feathers, vivid orange eye
Features: Bronzer, Freckles, Mole, Blush, Evox and Swallow Ears Compatible
AIMI SKINS EXCLUSIVE @ SWANK Event
Event Period: OCT 7th to 31ST
Event Location: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Swank%20Events/156/218/37
@ Main Store after event:
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/September/81/215/22
Social Media : i.mtrbio.com/aimiskins
Jupiter’s moon Amalthea casts a shadow on the gas giant planet in this image captured by NASA’s Juno spacecraft. The elongated shape of the shadow is a result of both the
location of the moon with relation to Jupiter in this image as well as the irregular shape of the moon itself.
The image was taken on Sept. 1, 2017 at 2:46 p.m. PDT (5:46 p.m. EDT), as Juno performed its eighth close flyby of Jupiter. At the time the image was taken, the
spacecraft was 2,397 miles (3,858 kilometers) from the tops of the clouds of the planet at a latitude of 17.6 degrees.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstädt
This image features a Mute Swan (Cygnus olor), characterized by its prominent orange bill with a black base and a graceful, long neck often held in an "S" curve. The species is known for its heavy body, dense white plumage, and generally silent nature compared to other swan species. Mute Swans are often found swimming in pairs or small groups on lakes, ponds, and slow-moving rivers.
Swans, Humber Bay Park West Lookout Point, TORONTO ONTARIO, CANADA
Rotterdam - Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen, the world’s first fully accessible art depot, will open its doors in September 2021 at Museumpark in the centre of Rotterdam. With this construction completion, now the museum and the users can start to inhabit the building and fill its spaces with priceless art. Although it will take another year before the real opening, the completion is a special moment . 7,000 lucky persons can make a safe quick visit in 3 days in September 2020.
The assignment for MVRDV Architects was to offer a glimpse behind the scenes of the museum world and make the whole art collection accessible to the public. The reflective round volume responds to its surroundings. The Depot features exhibition halls, a rooftop garden, and a restaurant, in addition to an enormous amount of storage space for art and design.
Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen is the first depot in the world that offers access to a complete collection. The dynamics of the depot are different from those of the museum: no exhibitions are held here, but you can - independently or with a guide - browse through 151,000 art objects. You can also take a look at, for example, conservation and restoration.. Surface 15,000 m²
This series features homegrown heirloom tomatoes*. As everyone with a garden knows, when tomatoes turn ripe, they all seem to ripen at the same time. So we had a whole bunch of different types of tomatoes waiting to be bagged & frozen for the winter. I was just going to take a shot or two.. and then got a bit carried away. I tried a few different things with composition, lighting & post production, I think some things worked better than others so, please let me know what you think.
*more about heirloom plants click here.
If you like my work click the "Follow" button on Flickr.
Check out my Blog rumimume.blogspot.ca/
I'm also on Google+ plus.google.com/106313488075670991016/posts
You can get my "Pic-of-The-day" in your twitter feed by following @rumimumesf on twitter
Le métavers est un concept d'espace virtuel en ligne, en 3D, qui relie les utilisateurs dans tous les aspects de leur vie. Il relierait plusieurs plateformes, semblables à Internet et contenant différents sites Web accessibles par le biais d'un seul navigateur.
Le concept a été développé dans le roman de science-fiction Snow Crash de Neal Stephenson. Cependant, si l'idée d'un métavers était autrefois une fiction, il semble aujourd'hui qu'elle pourrait devenir une réalité.
Le métavers sera animé par la réalité augmentée, chaque utilisateur contrôlant un personnage ou un avatar. Par exemple, vous pouvez organiser une réunion en réalité mixte avec un casque Oculus VR dans votre bureau virtuel, terminer votre travail et vous détendre dans un jeu blockchain, puis gérer votre portefeuille de cryptomonnaies et vos finances, le tout à l'intérieur du métavers.
Vous pouvez déjà voir certains aspects des métavers dans les mondes de jeux vidéo virtuels existants. Des jeux comme Second Life et Fortnite ou des outils de socialisation au travail comme Gather.town rassemblent de multiples éléments de nos vies dans des mondes en ligne. Bien que ces applications ne soient pas le métavers, elles sont quelque peu similaires. Le métavers n'existe pas encore.
En plus de prendre en charge le jeu ou les réseaux sociaux, le métavers combinera économies, identité numérique, gouvernance décentralisée et autres applications. Aujourd'hui encore, la création et la possession par les utilisateurs d'objets et de monnaies de valeur contribuent au développement d'un métavers unique et uni. Toutes ces caractéristiques confèrent à la blockchain le potentiel nécessaire pour alimenter cette future technologie.
Metaverse is an online, 3D virtual space concept that connects users in all aspects of their lives. It would connect several platforms, similar to the Internet and containing different websites accessible through a single browser.
The concept was developed in the science fiction novel Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. However, if the idea of a metaverse was once fiction, today it looks like it could become a reality.
The metaverse will be animated by augmented reality, with each user controlling a character or avatar. For example, you can host a mixed reality meeting with an Oculus VR headset in your virtual office, finish your work and relax in a blockchain game, then manage your cryptocurrency portfolio and finances, all inside the metaverse. .
You can already see some aspects of metaverse in existing virtual video game worlds. Games like Second Life and Fortnite or tools for socializing at work like Gather.town bring together multiple elements of our lives in online worlds. Although these apps are not the metaverse, they are somewhat similar. The metaverse does not yet exist.
In addition to supporting gaming or social networks, the metaverse will combine economies, digital identity, decentralized governance and other applications. Even today, the creation and possession by users of valuable objects and currencies contribute to the development of a single and united metaverse. All of these features give blockchain the potential to power this future technology.
The Manor Ornament Collection features 24 ornaments and one tree topper, housed inside a stunning model Georgian house.
Each window or door hides one ornament. Click them in any order to reveal and receive the ornament.
Marketplace: marketplace.secondlife.com/p/Fancy-Decor-Manor-Ornament-C...
Main-store: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Fancy%20Decor/124/174/29
Check out the new Luminar Editing software, packed with many features that photoshop does not have! macphun.evyy.net/c/418560/320119/3255
Mavic Pro 2 www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GDC5X74/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il...
Nikon D850: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07524LHMT/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il...
Nikon D810: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LAJQVR6/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il...
Nikon 14-24:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VDCTCI/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il...
Tamron 15-30 (cheaper alternative):
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00S86K7N8/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il...
Nikon D850: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07524LHMT/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il...
Nikon D810: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LAJQVR6/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il...
Nikon 14-24:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VDCTCI/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il...
Tamron 15-30 (cheaper alternative):
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00S86K7N8/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il...
I enjoy the emergent features in my body breeding, the way my hands close on you, the way my eyes are capable of describing the colourful and seedy scenery that surrounds me. Inside and outside of the light-filled bubble I inhabit your blood keeps me warm, your crushed watering voice lives in my womb and I save the foggy memories for the day next.
Out in the streets the eyes my teeth rip apart, the casual shoulders my fingernails slash, the shining invisible my chest touches, out of the blue the time lapses and the washed out colours induced by the smoke are gone. Holding a pencil with two fingers a view from the dwarf-magnolia tree to the entry curtains, I can feel both the life and waves between my fingers bordering to abyss and the dying quakes of cars going by.
The back of my spine tingles when I think of you, framed in the morning when all residents walking their dogs and homeless still hang out at Logan and cars and I feel like a fool with the sun trying to keep me from going to bed, twirling and jumping. There must be stages between love and monstrosity that I do not know. When this will be over and there will be no more work to do you will tell me what they are.
I go to the front garden, feeling too heavy to take myself out, yet unable to stay indoors. I like the view through the main gate, a framed and layered low angle view of the ground at the bottom. I hear you screaming in the late hours when all returners have returned, forth and around through these alleys and corridors where clients have established themselves with their habits and friends.
The sunset lasts forever with one german family in towels winding up carelessly on the benches. On the open-ended scale of fun the neighbours are curious to draw. Sidewalks are turning grey, heavy and wet. Eyes are sticking onto the poles and staying there. I stare at you and poles start swinging. Walking right into the water, focusing my fangs on your neck.
A girl busy with her juice while ownership and waitresses and options are discussed, the trends, the future plans. In time and days the crowd changes. Age, hair and colours change, music fades into music as the disco at the other end preps for another round. I pull the door open. Tilting my head towards the stars I raise my arms up to my head closing them together until my hands meet. Everything turns into nothing.
NOTE: text is mine
This series features homegrown heirloom tomatoes*. As everyone with a garden knows, when tomatoes turn ripe, they all seem to ripen at the same time. So we had a whole bunch of different types of tomatoes waiting to be bagged & frozen for the winter. I was just going to take a shot or two.. and then got a bit carried away. I tried a few different things with composition, lighting & post production, I think some things worked better than others so, please let me know what you think.
*more about heirloom plants click here.
If you like my work click the "Follow" button on Flickr.
Check out my Blog rumimume.blogspot.ca/
I'm also on Google+ plus.google.com/106313488075670991016/posts
You can get my "Pic-of-The-day" in your twitter feed by following @rumimumesf on twitter
DIPLOMAT BUILDING FEATURES
Elegant two-story lobby
Upscale arrival piazza for convenient resident drop-off
Lushly landscaped exterior plaza at the amenity level
Twenty-four-hour access control security desk
Closed circuit Television surveillance system and keyless
entry
Elevated pool deck overlooking the ocean
Professionally equipped fitness center
Covered controlled access parking
State-of-the-art surround sound theater/media room
Resident clubroom with a full-service kitchen
Business center & conference room
Billiard Lounge & Card Room
Poolside Cabanas
Bicycle storage
DIPLOMAT RESIDENCE FEATURES & AMENITIES
Private elevator lobbies
Elegant double-door entry
Magnificent views from expansive windows and terraces
Exceptional quality materials and finishes
Designer lighting package
Large his and her’s walk-in wardrobe closets
Large capacity front-loading washer and dryer
Two-panel interior doors with brushed chrome hardware
Impact-resistant windows and doors
Pre-wired for high-speed internet access
Spacious balconies and terraces
Fully sprinkled fire and alarm systems
Recessed lighting in halls, kitchens, and baths
Granite countertops & backsplash in Kitchen
Premium Kitchen appliance packages including:
42" Subzero refrigerator with ice maker
Electric Range (Gas Optional)
Built-in wall oven with microwave
Multi-cycle "quiet-power" dishwasher with pot scrubber
Undermount Sink with European-style faucet
9' Ceilings
Solar tinted and laminated glass on all windows & sliding
glass panels
Energy efficient heating, ventilation & cooling systems
Air-conditioned storage
Credit for the data above is given to the following website:
www.diplomathollywoodcondos.com/Building/Index/building/9...
© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.
And as promised yesterday here are a picture of the back side and the AT-RT in full crouching position.
Over the years Roundstone village in Connemara has attracted national and international artists to work in Roundstone. Roundstone thus features in many famous works of art. In Roundstone itself, you will find numerous works of art in local peoples homes and local business's.
There are also galleries such as Yvonne Kings Studio and the Stable Gallery which features more contemporary art. Artists also exhibit in the bars and Hotels. Roundstone also plays host to the Roundstone Arts week which is one of the prominant Irish Art's Weeks in Ireland
Here’s a very “volumetric” split crystal design – beginning to show some of the features associated with skeletal form crystals? Can you spot where? Let’s take a look at the details!
Before I do, however, I just want to make a quick note that the whole family is under the weather at the moment – and has been for roughly a week; that would be about the duration of this series. We’re doing okay, it’s not COVID, but likely RSV. Being sick sucks, it completely drains me of all energy and sleep is never enough nor is it rejuvenating. I think we’re past the worst of it now, but these posts have been about all I can motivate myself to accomplish. Your positive comments have been a huge boost, so this paragraph is simply to say thanks. I’m glad these images are appreciated.
This snowflake is definitely growing in layers. You can see a lot of lines running (vaguely and varying) 60-degrees from the main spine of each branch, and they can be quite thick! This snowflake answers another mystery with how these spines interact with the main snowflake as it builds thickness. For example, look at the bottom branch, right near the tip. See how tall the spine is above the rest? You can use the shadows/reflections to the right of it to get some visual comparison. However, take a look to the bottom right branch, in the middle. Where did the spine go?
We see a hint of the answer to the right of it, still in the middle. There are some dark spots! Those are little canyons in the surface, which are getting “ceilinged” over. The snowflake is filling in to become the same thickness overall. But then there was “eureka” moment for me. There’s a feature in SO MANY snowflakes that I never understood before. Why are there (so incredibly frequently) two parallel lines of bubbles running down the length of the snowflake? In this specimen, we can see them forming. Look to the lower-left branch!
See two parallel DARK lines, opposing the brighter lines on the lower-right branch? Bingo. They are in the process of being filled in. My theory is this: the spine forms as thicker than the rest of the snowflake, much more rapidly. However, the rest of the branch eventually thickens up to the same topographical height… but the walls of the spine are steep like a cliff, and water vapour cannot get inside to completely back-fill these areas. They in turn get a ceiling over top, forming bubbles. Woo! I think I’m correct on the “how” for this one, but the “why” is still outstanding to some degree. Why do snowflakes grow out thinly, then thicken up over time?
I believe this might be partially answered by the “knife-edge instability”. If you have two bricklayers each building a wall from available materials, and one is building a wall three bricks deep, he’d be a lot slower than someone building a wall only one brick thick. So then, utilizing this “thin wall” approach, a snowflake shoots out as a thinner piece of ice faster, but continues to thicken over time as the interior area still has access to some “bricks” (water vapour).
But don’t forget the skeletal form traits! You can also see it on the bottom branches, where there is evidence that the spines have grown so thick that they have “anviled”-out and are growing further along the top, with a gap underneath. Because this outward-growing ceiling is also quite thin, it can grow faster than some of the other surrounding features. You can see this easily on all four bottom branches, but such details are obscured on the top two, belonging to the other half of the “split” crystal with their surface features facing away from the camera.
eBook: Macro Photography – The Universe at Our Feet: skycrystals.ca/product/pre-order-ebook-edition-macro-phot... (fully instructive on all things macro, including how to photograph snowflakes)
Buy Me a Coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/donkomphoto
Platypod Exclusive DonKom Macro Studio Bundle: www.platypod.com/products/don-kom-macro-bundle
Description of Buildings:
Gesu Church is a rectangular structure of structural steel, reinforced-concrete construction and features exterior walls covered with stucco.
An arcaded portico projects from the west façade of the church and is divided by four massive piers into three bays.
The piers and pilasters on the opposite wall rest
on cubical pedestals approximately nine feet high. A chamfered molding serves as a capital for each pier and is repeated, at the same level as a belt course
running completely around the building.
The central bay of the portico projects slightly, and its arch springs from two semi-engaged Doric columns, thus framing
the main entrance of the church.
Articulation of the west wall echoes the tripartite divisions of the portico with semicircular arched portals at each bay. Double doors of wood and glass are recessed within the portal and have dentilled transoms and cartouches above.
The north façade of the church features an elevated basement from which piers rise to the architrave above. Indented panels between the piers contain tall, semi-circular arched stained glass windows.
A tripartite tower complex embellishes the roof. The central tower which is square in plan, rises in a series of steps and contains a belfry with arched windows. Two hipped roof towers flank the central tower.
Gesu Rectory is located directly east of the church and is connected to it. This four story rectangular structure is of structural steel, reinforced concrete construction, and its exterior walls are covered with stucco. Its pedimented gable
roof is covered with Spanish tile.
The main entrance is located in the center bay of the north façade and features a double door with large lights. The majority of windows are three over one double
hung sash. Round arch windows grace the fourth floor.
Gesu School is located east of the rectory. The building is a five story rectangular structure of reinforced concrete construction covered with stucco. A flat roof with parapet tops the building and features a pediment above the main entrance.
The focal point of the building is a grand, three story portico on the north façade. Ionic columns support the portico and are repeated in pilasters separating each bay. The main entrance features a colossal semi-circular arch with double doors.
The Fathers of the Society of Jesus have been instrumental in the establishment of Gesù Catholic Church from its inception. Gesù Parish was established as a result of the large Catholic community present in Miami. The original wooden church was built on land donated by Henry Flagler, and as Miami began to grow the need for a larger Church became a necessity. In 1921, the first cornerstone of this concrete and steel structure was laid to suit the needs of the growing Catholic community in Miami
Through the years, Gesù has been a spiritual ambassador to Catholics living in South Florida. It has taken on many roles aside from being a Church. For more than 75 years, Gesù Church started Gesù School which provided elementary and high school education. The school was run by the Sisters of St. Joseph
In addition, the Centro Hispano Católico at Gesù assisted Cuban refugees and refugees from other Central American countries with basic needs and helped with assimilation into a foreign country. From 1959-1982, the Centro Hispano Católico provided refugees with food, clothes, medical care, jobs, housing, daycare, school tuition, English classes, and immigration assistance. In 1962, Gesù served as headquarters to the Pedro Pan operation which bought more than 14,000 unaccompanied children from Communist Cuba
In September 1961, Gesù housed Belén Jesuit Preparatory School for a year and a half. After being exiled from Cuba, Jesuit Priests opened a school for refugee students who were living in Miami. This was the beginning of Belén Jesuit in South Florida.
Today, Gesù Catholic Church remains the spiritual center of downtown Miami. As the oldest church in South Florida, Gesù invites all to visit this historic landmark that has been serving South Florida’s Catholic community for nearly 120 years.
Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:
www.halsema.org/places/miami/GesuChurchandRectory.pdf
© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.
Ybor City is a historic neighborhood just northeast of downtown Tampa, Florida, United States. It was founded in the 1880s by Vicente Martinez-Ybor and other cigar manufacturers and populated by thousands of immigrants, mainly from Cuba, Spain, and Italy. For the next 50 years, workers in Ybor City's cigar factories rolled hundreds of millions of cigars annually.
Ybor City was unique in the American South as a successful town almost entirely populated and owned by immigrants. The neighborhood had features unusual among contemporary communities in the south, most notably its multiethnic and multiracial population and their many mutual aid societies. The cigar industry employed thousands of well-paid workers, helping Tampa grow from an economically depressed village to a bustling city in about 20 years and giving it the nickname "Cigar City".
Ybor City grew and flourished from the 1890s until the Great Depression of the 1930s, when a drop in demand for fine cigars reduced the number of cigar factories and mechanization in the cigar industry greatly reduced employment opportunities in the neighborhood. This process accelerated after World War II, and a steady exodus of residents and businesses continued until large areas of the formerly vibrant neighborhood were virtually abandoned by the late 1970s. Attempts at redevelopment failed until the 1980s, when an influx of artists began a slow process of gentrification. In the 1990s and early 2000s, a portion of the original neighborhood around 7th Avenue developed into a nightclub and entertainment district, and many old buildings were renovated for new uses. Since then, the area's economy has diversified with more offices and residences, and the population has shown notable growth for the first time in over half a century.
Ybor City has been designated as a National Historic Landmark District, and several structures in the area are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In 2008, 7th Avenue, Ybor City's main commercial thoroughfare, was recognized as one of the "10 Great Streets in America" by the American Planning Association. In 2010 Columbia Restaurant was named a "Top 50 All-American icon" by Nation's Restaurant News magazine.
In the early 1880s, Tampa was an isolated village with a population of less than 1000 and a struggling economy. However, its combination of a good port, Henry Plant's new railroad line, and humid climate attracted the attention of Vicente Martinez Ybor, a prominent Spanish cigar manufacturer.
Ybor had moved his cigar-making operation from Cuba to Key West, Florida, in 1869, due to political turmoil in the then-Spanish colony. But, labor unrest and the lack of room for expansion had him looking for another base of operations, preferably in his own company town.
Ybor considered several communities in the southern United States and decided that an area of sandy scrubland just northeast of Tampa would be the best location. In 1885, the Tampa Board of Trade helped broker an initial purchase of 40 acres (160,000 m2) of land, and Ybor quickly bought more. However, Ybor City very nearly didn't happen at all. Vicente Ybor initially failed to come to an agreement with the owner of the 40 acre parcel. The Tampa Board of Trade was horrified to find that the purchase had failed and hatched a plan to get the buyer and seller back together. Vicente Ybor was sitting in the train station on his way to Jacksonville to look at more property when the Board of Trade (a group of five, one of whom was Frederick Salomonson, future 3-time mayor of Tampa) arrived and persuaded Ybor to reconsider and the deal went forward from there, the birth of Ybor City.
Italians were also among the early settlers of Ybor City. Most of them came from a few villages in southwestern Sicily. The villages were Santo Stefano Quisquina, Alessandria della Rocca, Bivona, Cianciana, and Contessa Entellina. Sixty percent of them came from Santo Stefano Quisquina. Before settling in Ybor City, many first worked in the sugar cane plantations in St. Cloud, central Florida. Some came by way of Louisiana. A number of families migrated from New Orleans after the lynching of eleven Italians in 1891 during the "Mafia Riot". Italians mostly brought their entire families with them, unlike other immigrants. The foreign-born Italian population of Tampa grew from 56 in 1890 to 2,684 in 1940. Once arriving in Ybor City, Italians settled mainly in the eastern and southern fringes of the city. The area was referred to as La Pachata, after a Cuban rent collector in that area. It was also called "Little Italy".
In 1887, Tampa annexed the neighborhood. By 1900, the rough frontier settlement of wooden buildings and sandy streets had been transformed into a bustling town with brick buildings and streets, a streetcar line, and many social and cultural opportunities. Largely due to the growth of Ybor City, Tampa's population had jumped to almost 16,000.
Ybor City grew and prospered during the first decades of the 20th Century. Thousands of residents built a community that combined Cuban, Spanish, Italian, and Jewish culture. "Ybor City is Tampa's Spanish India," observed a visitor to the area, "What a colorful, screaming, shrill, and turbulent world."
Circulo Cubano de Tampa, one of Ybor City's social clubs
An aspect of life were the mutual aid societies built and sustained mainly by ordinary citizens. These clubs were founded in Ybor's early days (the first was the Centro Español, established in 1891) and were run on dues collected from their members, usually 5% of a member's salary. In exchange, members and their whole family received services including free libraries, educational programs, sports teams, restaurants, numerous social functions like dances and picnics, and free medical services. Beyond the services, these clubs served as extended families and communal gathering places for generations of Ybor's citizens.
There were clubs for each ethnic division in the community – the Deutscher-Americaner Club (for German and eastern Europeans), L'Unione Italiana (for Italians), El Circulo Cubano (for light-skinned Cubans), La Union Marti-Maceo (for darker-skinned Cubans), El Centro Español (for Spaniards), and the largest, El Centro Asturiano, which accepted members from any ethnic group[20]
Although there was little racism in Ybor City, Tampa's Jim Crow laws at the time forbade Afro-Cubans from belonging to the same social organization as their lighter-skinned countrymen. Sometimes, differences in skin color within the same family made joining the same Cuban club impossible. In general, the rivalries between all the clubs were friendly, and families were known to switch affiliations depending on which one offered preferred services and events.
Cigar production reached its peak in 1929, when 500 million cigars were rolled in the factories of Ybor City. Not coincidentally, that was also the year that the Great Depression began.
In the early 1980s, an influx of artists seeking interesting and inexpensive studio quarters started a slow recovery, followed by a period of commercial gentrification. By the early 1990s, many of the old long-empty brick buildings on 7th Avenue had been converted into bars, restaurants, nightclubs, and other nightlife attractions.Traffic grew so much that the city built parking garages and closed 7th Ave. to traffic to deal with the visitors.
Cigar making display, Ybor City Museum State Park
Since around 2000, the city of Tampa and the Ybor City Chamber of Commerce have encouraged a broader emphasis in development. With financial help from the city, Centro Ybor, a family-oriented shopping complex and movie theater, opened in the former home of the Centro Español social club.
The Florida Brewing Company building was restored into a commercial building in 2001. New apartments, condominiums and a hotel have been built on long-vacant lots, and old buildings have been restored and converted into residences and hotels. New residents began moving into Ybor City for the first time in many years. The blocks surrounding 7th Avenue also thrive with restaurants, nightlife and shopping. Reflecting the district's status as a party destination, Ybor City is referenced extensively in the lyrics of Brooklyn-based rock band The Hold Steady. The song "Killer Parties", for instance, contains the line "Ybor City is très speedy, but they throw such killer parties." In May 2009 Swedish super-retailer IKEA opened its long-awaited Tampa location in the southern edge of Ybor City.
The local museum is the Ybor City Museum State Park in the former Ferlita Bakery building (originally La Joven Francesca) building on 9th Avenue. Tours of the gardens and the "casitas" (small homes of cigar company workers) are provided by a ranger. Exhibits, period photos and a video cover the founding of Ybor City and the cigar making industry.
Credit for the data above is given to the following website:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ybor_City
© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.
Brockholes is a new kind of nature reserve, an unreserved reserve owned and managed by The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside.
There's lots to see and do at Brockholes, you can hunt out our floating Visitor Village with a restaurant, shops and Welcome Centre or explore our family-friendly hides, walking trails and play area.
At Brockholes you can explore our beautiful reserve, see the wildlife that call it ‘home’ or hunt out our Visitor Village with restaurant and shops, all of which float (yes really!) on one of our lakes.
Our floating Visitor Village features a gift shop and a restaurant providing stunning views across the lake. You can also discover our interactive Welcome Centre and learn all about the wildlife that you could see on-site. Be sure to call in to pick up a welcome leaflet that will help you plan your day. You can view the reserve map in our Welcome Leaflet here to help you plan your first visit.
2013/14 Opening Times:
4th November 2013 to 31 March 2014 10am-4pm
1st April 2014 to 31st October 2014 10am-5pm
Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day only
Car Park Charges
We don't charge for entry and any profits made here go back into looking after the reserve. So every time you pay for parking, treat yourself in the shop or enjoy some lunch, you are helping look after the reserve and the wildlife that visits us!
Sorry no dogs allowed!
There is a good reason! Dogs can disturb wildlife, especially nesting birds. If your dog was to get too close to a nesting bird it would cause the mother to leave the nest. So to avoid any accidents we ask that you don’t bring your dog. (Assistance dogs are welcome.)
Explore the reserve
Brockholes is one of the best sites in the UK for many species of bird and has one of the largest strips of ancient woodland in the county. You can take a stroll by the River Ribble, explore our woods or enjoy the lakes on site, which have all been specially designed to attract all kinds of wildlife for you to see!
Walks around Brockholes
What can I see at Brockholes?
Read about the happy habitats we've been working hard to create at Brockholes.
Watch out!
The Visitor Village floats on water and there are lots of areas of open water on the reserve. Take care in these areas and keep an eye on any children with you. The following activities are not allowed on the reserve:
Barbecues and fires
Fishing
Swimming
Please do not feed the birds
Big gulls know it’s much easier to find food when we leave it lying around rather than finding their own lunch. Here at Brockholes we have lots of species breeding with us, little ringed and ringed plover, lapwing, oystercatcher and redshank. Unfortunately the big gulls will eat the chicks of these special birds so if we feed the gulls and encourage them to stay there is a big chance that they will eat our important chicks, so please do not feed the birds and take your leftover picnic away with you.
www.brockholes.org/our-journey
The Lancashire Wildlife Trust has been working on developing Brockholes for nearly 20 years, here is an overview of our journey.
1992 Lancashire Wildlife Trust first contests the quarrying of Brockholes.
27 November 2006 The Lancashire Wildlife Trust has four weeks to raise £50,000 to buy the Brockholes site, near Preston, and protect it from development. Brockholes sits next to J31 of the M6 and is the size of 120 football pitches.
15 January 2007 The Lancashire Wildlife Trust makes the biggest land purchase in its history - thanks to donations from Wildlife Trust members, and an investment of £800,000 from the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) under the Newlands scheme. The project to buy and develop Brockholes is also supported by The Tubney Charitable Trust.
3 May 2007 Ian Selby is appointed as Brockholes project manager. Ian has 20 years' experience of managing the North West's canal network for British Waterways, followed by environmental regeneration work. Sophie Leadsom, Brockholes' new reserve manager, has worked in conservation for 14 years.
July 2007 The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) announced the launch of a new open competition to design new visitor facilities.
5 October 2007 The Lancashire Wildlife Trust announced the shortlist for the new multi-million pound visitor centre. 61 architects from all over Europe submitted designs. The five were Adam Khan Architects, Arca, Architecture 2B, AY Architects, McDowell + Benedetti.
25 February 2008 The Lancashire Wildlife Trust (LWT) and partners announce the winner of its competition to design a visitor facility. Adam Khan Architects was selected for its inspirational design concept: "A Floating World". Designed as a cluster of buildings constructed largely of wood and other sustainable materials, it resembles an ancient marshland village.
April 2008 The Lancashire Wildlife Trust announced the completion of its first phase of preparatory work, including the restoration of the wetlands, creation of ponds, seeding of meadows, planting new hedgerows and trees, making access paths and building proper bird watching hides.
March 2009 The Lancashire Wildlife Trust secured £8million of funding from the North West Regional Development Agency (NWDA). The investment was made under ‘Newlands’, a NWDA and Forestry Commission programme that is regenerating brownfield land across the Northwest into economically viable community woodland.
Summer 2009 Volunteers gave us 134 hours of their time to help propagate our own reed seedlings on-site. We ended up with 20,000 new redd seedlings ready to plant out around our new visitor centre, creating two hecatres of brand new reedbed.
August 2009 The Lancashire Wildlife Trust were granted detailed planning permission for the site.
December 2009 Contractors first day of work as they begin to construct the iconic floating visitors centre. Press conference being held with a ‘cutting of the first sod’
November 2010 A herd of longhorn cattle move into Brockholes to graze the reserve.
December 2010 BBC Countryfile fronted by Julia Bradbury visit Brockholes to film a feature that airs in January 2011.
March 2011 Brockholes makes history as the Visitor Village is floated for the first time.
Easter Sunday 2011 Brockholes opens its doors to the public for the first time!
www.brockholes.org/happy-habitats-brockholes
Happy habitats at Brockholes
The Lancashire Wildlife Trust are using their expertise to create habitats that will encourage lots of different species to visit the site, read more about the work we are doing on the reserve...
Number 1 Pit
Uniform and steep, the edges around the original gravel pit used to look very different. The island looked different too – an egg-shaped piece of land sticking out of the water by three metres. These land profiles weren’t great for the bird species and aquatic invertebrates we wanted to attract. So, with bulldozer and digger we pushed earth into the lake to create shallow, underwater ledges and peninsulas where birds can roost and feed, safe from predators. Diving ducks, such as Great Crested Grebe, now hunt for fish in the deep water.
Nook Pool
The edge of this pool has been planted with reed to create places for small fish and aquatic invertebrates like dragonfly larvae to hide and grow, away from predator fish. The shelter provided by the vegetation provides an ideal hunting ground for lots of species of dragonfly including the impressive Brown Hawker and Emperor Dragonfly.
Meadow Lake
This shallow lake is great for bird watching: when the water level is down, wading birds feed on small invertebrates in the exposed mud. This lake has some of the richest water plant life in and around it, including White Water Lily and Cuckooflower. The reed fringes are becoming well established and hold some of the largest populations of birds on site. The islands provide safe roosting and breeding areas, we keep the vegetation short so the birds can watch out for predators.
Boilton Marsh
This area is part of our newly created wet grassland habitat. We remodelled 17,000 cubic metres of quarry spoil to create 10 hectares of wet grassland with nearly 2km of channels and five pools. This is the ideal habitat for breeding wading birds such as Lapwing, Redshank and Snipe. We now graze traditional breeds of cattle and sheep that thrive on the coarse grasses and rushes and provide the low grassland sward that encourages wading birds to nest.
The channels and pools are kept topped up by using a high-level reservoir, filled from Number One Pit by way of a solar pump.
Woodland
Brockholes is fringed by the ancient woodland of Boilton, Red Scar and Tunbrook Woods. Woodland has grown here for thousands of years and developed a very rich variety of wildlife. Looking after our trees and paths will help the woodland to thrive and enable you to see the wildlife safely.
Reedbeds
Reedbeds are home to Sedge Warblers, Reed Warblers, Reed Buntings and Water Rail. We protect the new reed from grazing birds like Coot, Mute Swan and Canada Goose, by erecting chicken wire fences and baling string barriers. It will take several years before our lak fringes start to look like reedbeds. You might notice that the Visitor Village has been nestled in reedbed. This helps it to blend into the reserve and allows you to hear the song and chatter of the birds that nest there.
www.brockholes.org/brockholes-partners-and-funders
Brockholes partners and funders
For the past ten years, The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside have been working to secure this site of national environmental importance, and restore habitats to their full potential.
The £8.6 million of regeneration funding was provided for the Brockholes Wetland and Woodland Reserve project has been granted under 'Newlands' - a £59 million, Northwest Regional Development Agency and Forestry Commission programme to transform brownfield land into durable community woodland, which act as catalysts for economic, social and environmental gain.
The Lancashire Environmental Fund awarded £446,000 for the development of the education facilities, hides and infrastructure on the site. Tubney Charitable Trust granted £350,000 for Biodiversity and Natural England DEFRA's Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund awarded circa. £300,000. The Environment Agency granted £50,000 for the continued development of Brockholes.
The support of these funders helped make Brockholes a reality, as did the amazing support from our public appeal, which raised an amazing £63,000 - the most successful public appeal the Lancashire Wildlife Trust has ever run!
Volunteering at Brockholes
Around 200 volunteers have now been recruited, inducted and trained to begin volunteering at Brockholes, so we offer an enormous thank you to all who are helping it make such a big impact on our visitors... Volunteers truly are the face of Brockholes.
There are currently some exciting opportunities to be had volunteering here at Brockholes. Please have a look below at roles (you can click on the titles to download a full role description) which might suit you and click here to register, mentioning Brockholes and the role on the form.
Seasonal Activities Volunteer
Our seasonal activities program is the ideal opportunity for young people aged 16-23 to get involved here at Brockholes.
Running throughout all school holiday periods, you are expected to volunteer for 7 hours per week (normally one full day).
The Seasonal Activities Volunteer role is ideal for friendly, outgoing people who want to utilise their creative skills and help visitors – in particular children – enjoy the reserve. You will work alongside other volunteers to plan and deliver a variety of activities including pond dipping, guided walks, bird watching. The role will also include assisting with larger events such as our Extreme Adventure Weekend and Craft Fayres. Support will be given to you by the Events & Communications Manager.
This placement is perfect for those undertaking various award schemes, such as the Duke of Edinburgh award, as over the course of the summer you have the opportunity to gain upto 50 volunteering hours.
For full details on the role and what it entails, click here.
Seasonal Retail & Visitor Services
Our seasonal activities program is the ideal opportunity for young people aged 16-23 to get involved here at Brockholes.
As a volunteer for Retail & Visitor Services you will provide a warm welcome for visitors, helping to ensure that their Brockholes experience is a positive one. You will help visitors by providing them with information about products on sale in our gift stores and help them plan their visit by telling them about the various events and activities we have on offer.
The role suits a friendly, outgoing person who has an interest in wildlife and conservation.
Running throughout the school holiday periods, you are expected to volunteer for 7 hours per week (normally one full day).
This placement is perfect for those undertaking various award schemes, such as the Duke of Edinburgh award, as over the course of the summer you have the opportunity to gain upto 50 volunteering hours.
Each volunteer will be required to undergo a minimum of 1 and a half days training before they start. If you’d like to find out more or ask questions about any of these roles do not hesitate to get in touch with Catherine Haddon, Volunteering Support Officer on 01772 324 129 or email volunteer@lancswt.org.uk
Awards
Brockholes has scooped many high profile awards since opening in April 2011:
2013 Lancashire Tourism Award for Best Conference/Meeting venue
VisitEngland's Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme (VAQAS) 'Excellent'
Green Tourism Gold Award
Customer at the Heart Award
Lancashire and Blackpool Tourism Awards 'Marketing Campaign of the Year'
National Wood Award
BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ for the interim design stage
Chartered Institute of Building Services – Building of the Year 2011
Civic Trust Award
Civic Trust Special Award for Sustainability
Highly Commended in portfolio of Newlands sites in Landscape Awards
CIWEM Living Wetlands award
Greenbuilds award
Green Apple Awards for the Visitor Centre
Sustainable Project of the year – 2012 Building Awards
RICS North West – Overall award
RICS North West – Tourism and Leisure
RICS NW – Design & Innovation
RIBA North West Building of the Year
RIBA North West Sustainability Award
RIBA Award for top 50 new buildings in the UK
Brockholes is an award winning-venue, which floats on one of our lakes - the only one of its kind in the UK.
Combine this unique design with access straight off the M6, a beautiful nature reserve, ample parking and on site catering, and you have found yourself the perfect venue for your next event. View our Conference Brochure here.
We think Brockholes is the natural place to do business, our dedicated centre can cater for 50 to 130 delegates.
We have a choice of two conference rooms and a reception/break-out area.
www.brockholes.org/conference-packages
At Brockholes we want you to be in control of your event as much as possible. This is why we have created these basic packages, enabling you to tweak each element to build an individual event.
Alternatively, we can cater to your specific requests if you require half day, early morning or evening hire.
Here is an overview of our conference packages, please contact us for a quote.
Our Conference brochure can be viewed in digi-book format here.
Day Delegate Package
Private room hire from 9am - 5pm
Tea and coffee served on arrival with bacon rolls
Mineral water for each guest
Tea and coffee served mid-morning
Buffet lunch served with tea, coffee and fresh fruit platter
Tea, coffee and biscuits served mid-afternoon
Use of a flip chart, screen and projector
Recycled pen and notepad for each delegate
Dedicated co-ordinator to assist you throughout the planning to delivery of your meeting
24 Hour Delegate Package
All of the above plus;
Three course dinner
Full breakfast
Accommodation in a standard bedroom at our recommended accommodation supplier
Accommodation
Preferential rates are available on request from a local hotel when booking through the Brockholes Sales Team.
We can tailor our packages to suit your needs. Make the UK's first floating venue your next choice
Please contact us for more information or to arrange a meeting or showround with our Conference Sales Co-ordinator
Call us on 01772 872005 or enter your details below and we will contact you to discuss your requirements.
www.brockholes.org/sponsorship-opportunities
Sponsorship Opportunities
Brockholes is an award winning nature reserve owned and manages by the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, which was opened in 2011. The 250 acre reserve is already attracting record numbers of breeding birds and around 170,000 visitors each year. Brockholes runs a wide range of events throughout the year and has a particularly strong offer for families. Events include wild families, school holiday clubs, school and community group visits, self led trails and larger festivals during the summer holidays.
The key marketing campaigns run targeting families include Christmas, Summer and Easter. Each campaign targets a series of family focused publications across the North West, with a monthly average reach online of over 40,000 people through the website and social media. Advertising and direct marketing campaigns have an average reach of 70% of the total North West population.
Sponsorship and Partnership Opportunities
Summer at Brockholes sees a host of family events each year, from school holiday clubs to open air theatre, guided walks to family fun. Over the Summer period, Brockholes expects to welcome over 60,000 visitors. The marketing campaign is multi channel and will reach a wide audience of families across the North West. Brockholes has also been featured in the National Press for some of the unique events run. We have some new opportunities for sponsorship and partnership, which will allow your business to raise brand awareness and fulfill part of your Corporate Social Responsibility by supporting Brockholes and The Lancashire Wildlife Trust.
Summer at Brockholes Headline Sponsorship £4500
Expose your brand to thousands of families across the North West.
- Logo on all Summer promotional material
- Inclusion in all four of the Summer e-news and Lancashire Wildlife Trust e-news
- Sponsor Feature on Brockholes.org
- On site promotion
- Promotion through social media channels
- Inclusion in all PR activity
- Temporary use of Brockholes logo on promotional material directly related to the partnership
Wild Families Sponsorship £4000 per year
Our Wild Families events are always fully booked. With themes ranging from scarecrow hunts to nature detectives, each event provides quality family time for family members of all ages. Events are run throughout school holidays.
-Logo on marketing materials for Wild Families
-Inclusion in PR for trail launch
-Inclusion in social media activity
-Inclusion in Brockholes e-news
Seasonal Trail Sponsorship £500 per trail
Each visitor to Brockholes can collect their free seasonal trail on arrival. The trail helps visitors to explore the reserve, learn more about what to see and how the reserve changes with the season and challenges them to spot things.
-Logo on sponsorship trail
-Inclusion in PR for trail launch
-Inclusion in social media activity around the trail
Half term at Brockholes £1500
-Logo on all marketing materials
-Inclusion in launch PR
-Social media promotion
Annual Headline Sponsorship £10,000
- Logo inclusion on all Promotional Material
- Dedicated web page on Brockholes.org
- On site promotion
- Dedicated stand area on key event days
- Promotion through Brockholes and LWT e-news, member magazine
- Promotion through social media channels
- Inclusion in all PR activity
-Discounted delegate rate on our conference facilities
Children's Corner £500
Would you like to help brighten up the children's corner in our restuarant for our younger visitors?
-Inclusion in PR activity
-Recognition in the children's area
-Inclusion in activity to our database promoting the new area
To talk to us more about sponsorship opportunities, contact Ruth Gaskell rgaskell@lancswt.org.uk or call 01772 324129.
www.brockholes.org/commercial-opportunities
Commercial Opportunities
Make Brockholes your business
Businesses are being offered an opportunity to become partners in a North West tourism and wildlife success story.
Brockholes nature reserve is entering the second phase of development which will provide commercial opportunities for other businesses and boost local employment.
The Lancashire Wildlife Trust attraction attracted 185,000 people to its nature reserve and the first ever floating visitor village in the UK, last year. It is looking to top that visitor figure this year.
Just off the M6 at Preston and easily accessible from anywhere in the UK, Brockholes has received more than 30 regional and national awards despite only opening in 2011. Visitors continue to pour in despite the reserve being surrounded by the attractions of Manchester, Blackpool and Liverpool.
The business has shown year-on-year growth and, as a result, is seeking commercial partners for the next phase of development.
Anne Selby, Chief Executive of the Wildlife Trust said “Brockholes has performed incredibly well despite being launched in a recession. We have steered the business through the stormy weather and achieved fantastic results.
“We are now looking to move into the next phase of development. As a conservation charity, we want to ensure our focus remains on the nature conservation of the reserve, whilst ensuring the commercial income supports this work. We are looking for expressions of interest at this stage and asking businesses to be creative with their proposals.”
The Visitor Village has a restaurant, shops, conference centre, welcome centre and education centre. Major companies have made use of the conference centre including RBS and Aldi. The surrounding nature reserve is continuing to grow, with an increasing population of resident creatures and rare visitors like red kite, bittern and otter.
Anne continued: “Brockholes received funding for the initial start up and development phases but it was always designed to be a self-sustaining model. By making the most of the commercial opportunities and keeping these balanced carefully with the needs of nature, we believe we can continue to success of Brockholes into the future and achieve even more fantastic results for wildlife, our wide range of visitors and the tourism economy”.
Opportunities include retail, water sports (non-motorised), indoor play provision, events partners and mobile food concessions. However, the Trust is open to hear if any investors would wish to develop sympathetic commercial facilities on the site.
An opportunity information pack is available by request from:
Karen Williams Karen.Williams@brockholes.org
Expressions of interest should initially be made to
Lindsey Poole, Commercial Development Manager lpoole@lancswt.org.uk
Group Visits
Whether it’s a full day out or just a quick stop off on the way to your destination, Brockholes is the ideal place for groups to visit.
There's so much for all ages to see and learn about at Brockholes. Everyone from toddlers to seniors will find something to fascinate them, whether through our exciting range of organised events, or by just wandering around the site.
We are passionately committed to lifelong learning for all – our belief is that everyone should leave knowing something they didn't when they arrived! The Lancashire Wildlife Trust has over a decade of experience in delivering environmental education, so you can relax, enjoy the surroundings and be sure to come away both enchanted and enlightened...
We have several options for various groups, each with a variety of benefits. For more information click on the relevant link below…
Coach Groups
School Groups
Community Groups
To enquire about group visits please call 01772 872000 or email info@brockholes.org. Or leave your details on the form below and a member of our team will get back to you as soon as possible.
Coach Groups
Situated next to Junction 31 on the M6, we are the ideal stop for coach trips, whether it is for a short stop, as a green motorway services, or as part of a full day visit.
Free entry for coaches and convenient coach drop-off point
We have a variety of walking trails for your group to explore, ranging from half an hour to 2 hours in length.
We have our floating visitor village that features a stunning waterside restaurant, 2 unique gift shops and a welcome centre with exhibits, which are ideal should your guests decide for something less active (or if the weather lets you down)!
All our buildings are fully accessible, while the vast majority of our paths are well surfaced, level and suitable for wheelchairs.
We now have a more convenient drop-off point exclusively for coaches and in addition have a number of benefits for coach groups:
• Free entry to the reserve and visitor centre
• Free coach parking
• Refreshment voucher for the coach driver
• Free familiarisation visit for group organisers
• Free meet and greet at the coach (on request)
• Free Brockholes welcome leaflet and trail guide
• Free events and activities throughout the year (visit our events calendar for details)
• Free play area
• Pre-booked guided tours (available at an extra charge)
• Adapted toilets available at the visitor centre
Please note that there is a 4 metre high bridge on the entrance to Brockholes. We also advise all coaches to let us know of their visit in advance by calling us on 01772 872000.
For any further information please just call 01772 872000, email info@brockholes.org
School Groups
Our 250 acre nature reserve and Visitor Village is a great place for school groups to visit. Children can learn about the geological history and how the quarrying has shaped the land today. And because we are a new nature reserve, you can watch it grow! It is also home to the UK's first floating Visitor Village.
Most importantly of all, the children will be able to see that Brockholes is home to a host of wildlife, with many different species of bird popping by throughout the year, along with brown hare, dragonfly and deer to name a few!
Facilities
Your school will have use of the education centre on our floating visitor village and you will have at least one Education Officer dedicated to your group throughout the day.
Plus... NEW FOR 2014!
Next year your school will be able to get even closer to nature at Brockholes by booking an education session in our new purpose-built bird hide classroom, right on the edge of the lake!
The hide will overlook No 1 Pit Lake which is home to many different species of birds and you'll also be able to look across to the new sand martin wall, which will provide valuable breeding habitat when they arrive in spring.
Why not your details below if you'd like us to keep to informed of these exciting new developments!
Programmes
We offer a wide range of programmes including:
Big Adventure in a Miniature World
Life Cycles
Migration and Hibernation
Environmental Art
Geography and Geology
Forest School
You can read more about the education programmes available at Brockholes here.
Education Team
Our Education Team are based at Brockholes and have a huge amount of experience in inspiring young people about the natural world. They are a lively bunch and pride themselves on creating an exciting and memorable experience for your school. You can read about how great our team is here: Meet the Education Team.
Outreach
Can't get to us? Then we can come to you! Our outreach education programme is very popular and offers a wide range of programmes for those who are unable to reach Brockholes.You can view our Outreach Programmes here.
For any information just call us on 01772 872000 for more information, email eduadmin@lancswt.org.uk
Community Groups
Brockholes is a great place to bring your community group, whether it's the Scouts, Guides, Cubs, Brownies or Beavers or a rambling or photography group, there is something for everyone!
As well as exploring our stunning nature reserve you can enjoy an activity such as a guided walk, a mini-beast hunt or an environmental art session.
You can visit Brockholes during the day or we have special community group evenings when the reserve is open beyond our usual opening hours. Group activities usually take place between 5.30pm and 7.30pm.
Forest Schools
Forest Schools is a unique outdoor learning experience that improves children's self-esteem, confidence and abilities.
Brockholes provides an inspirational setting for Forest Schools sessions and training, and is conveniently located just off junction 31 of the M6 at Preston.
Our Forest School sessions are designed and delivered by our experienced and fully qualified Education Team including our Level 3 Trained Forest Schools Practioner.
Our next Forest Schools adult training session will be running in October. To find out more about Forest School sessions at Brockholes please call 01772 872017 or email kphillips@lancswt.org.uk
Shop til you flock
Why not drop into our two on-site shops, The Nest and Village Store, which are packed with all sorts of goodies. We've a variety of products from local beverages and food, to cards and books and crafts and jewellery. They are the perfect place to pick up a unique gift... and there's plenty of treats for the little ones too!
The Nest
The Nest is home to an inspiring collection of gifts, jewellery, books, toys, arts & crafts. Discover what's inside The Nest here.
The Village Store
The Village Store stocks a wide range of products, from locally sourced food and drink treats to bird food, garden accessories and wildlife books. Come and look inside here.
Membership of the Wildlife Trust
Brockholes is a Lancashire Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve. You can become a member today or talk to our friendly staff members and volunteers on your next visit to Brockholes. Gift membership is available in The Nest or you can buy it online here.
Our restaurant is the perfect place to stop and watch the world go by with panoramic views of our lake. Scrumptious homemade dishes and a taste bud tingling selection of Lancashire's finest local produce are all here to tempt you, along with fair trade tea and coffee.
Our restaurant is open from 10am to 5pm.
www.brockholes.org/very-special-occasions
Brockholes is a fantastic place for your very special occasions.
Our floating venue is one of the newest and most unique in Lancashire and promises you and your guests an unforgetable event whatever the occasion.
We have a dedicated function centre that can accomodate weddings, christenings and all sort of functions.
The clean, contemporary finish of our venue means that you have the perfect opportunity to put your own stamp on your event, with a flexible range of catering available from our on-site restaurant.
We have a dedicated Conference and Events Co-ordinator that will be available to help you plan your special occasion.
Very Special Weddings
We had our first wedding celebration September 2011 and since then it's been all go with Wedding Fayres and lots more bookings for this year and next. Find out more about weddings at Brockholes here.
Very Special Christenings
Brockholes is a real family friendly venue for a Christening celebration that you will remember for years to come. Find out more here.
For general enquiries about holding a function at Brockholes please call 01772 872005 or email philip.dunn@brockholes.org.
The SD60M features a "North American safety cab" design and has a full-width short hood. Early models until 1990 featured a three-piece windshield with vertical windows.
Purchasers of this model included Union Pacific Railroad, Burlington Northern and the Soo Line.
Later production from 1991 used two windshield panes that were sloped back, and had a somewhat shorter nose tapered on the sides.
The 3-piece models were always a bit odd to see along the Geneva Subdivision, and this one pulling a ballast train through Winfield made an odd sight
Excerpt from www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=13533...:
Description of Historic Place
Notre-Dame Roman Catholic Church / Basilica National Historic Site of Canada is an immense stone church built from 1824 to 1829 in the Romantic Gothic Revival style. It features massive twin towers and a Gothic-arched, recessed portico. The interior is decorated in a later and more elaborate version of the Gothic Revival style. The church faces onto Notre-Dame Street, directly across from Place d’Armes in the heart of Old Montréal. The formal recognition consists of the building on its footprint.
Heritage Value
Notre-Dame Roman Catholic Church / Basilica was designated a national historic site of Canada in 1989 because:
- it showcases the romantic expression of the Gothic revival Style and is the flagship of this style in Canada;
- the use of the Gothic Revival on a building of such importance accurately predicts the prominence that this style would have in Canadian architecture.
Built from 1824 to 1829, Notre-Dame Roman Catholic Church / Basilica was the first significant example of the Gothic Revival style in Canada. In the 1820s the parish of Notre-Dame was led by a group of prominent Montréal merchants and by the Sulpicians, a powerful Roman Catholic religious order that had historically controlled the island of Montréal as its priests and seigneurs. The Sulpicians wanted to build a new parish church that was more impressive than the recently built Roman Catholic and Anglican churches in the city. The Sulpicians called on James O’Donnell, an American Protestant architect to build a church in the latest style, with enough space to accommodate a congregation of more than 8000. The resulting Gothic Revival style church, named Notre-Dame, served all of Montréal. For the next half century it was the largest church in either Canada or the United States. Its early Gothic Revival style, which was applied to a straightforward nave plan with galleries and twin towers, marked the beginning of the style’s significance in Canadian church architecture. It represents a Romantic, non-academic approach to the style, which contrasts with the formal Ecclesiological Gothic Revival of many of Canada’s large Anglican and Roman Catholic cathedrals of the mid- to late-19th century.
The parish used many of Quebec’s most celebrated architects and artisans to help complete the decoration of the church in the 19th and 20th centuries. Architect John Ostell finished the twin towers in 1843, after O’Donnell’s death but according to the original plan. Between 1872 and 1880, O’Donnell’s interior was replaced by a more elaborate Gothic Revival decoration, designed by well-known architect Victor Bourgeau. Bourgeau commissioned French sculptor Henri Bouriché to produce the statues and reliefs for the main altar and the massive reredos along the east side of the chancel. Montréal sculptor Louis-Philippe Hébert added a pulpit between 1883 and 1887 to plans by Bouriché. In 1926, Quebec artist Ozias Leduc decorated vaults, walls, doorways and stained glass windows.
Key elements contributing to the heritage value of the site include:
- the monumental effect of the building, achieved through its large scale, traditional plan, flat façade, and the two massive towers;
- features typical of traditional, classically inspired designs, including the symmetrical facade, a low-pitched roof, and a general rectilinear approach;
- its simple interior organization, consisting of nave and galleries;
- its imposing façade, consisting of a triple arched portico surmounted by a blind arcade and flanked by twin squared towers;
- the Gothic Revival detailing applied to the façade, including niches with statuary, a crenellated parapet, octagonal colonettes finishing the corners of the towers, buttresses, pointed-arch windows, and window tracery;
- its early 19th-century construction technology, including, its complex wooden roof truss system, its painted lath-and-plaster vaulted ceiling, and its Montréal limestone walls;
- its highly decorated, Gothic Revival interior designed by Victor Bourgeau, including, the polychromatic nave, the rose windows, the Gothic tracery, the painted nave illuminated by three octagonal skylights, the ribbed vaulted ceiling, and the mahogany choir stalls;
- Gothic Revival decoration produced by French sculptor Henri Bouriché, including the statues and reliefs of the main altar and the massive reredos along the east side of the choir;
- the pulpit by sculptor Louis-Philippe Hébert;
- the vaulting, walls, doorways and stained-glass windows produced by Ozias Leduc;
- the viewscapes between the church and Place d’Armes.